


Connection

by Jain



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Gen, POV Third Person, Past Tense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-23
Updated: 2013-07-23
Packaged: 2017-12-21 01:45:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/894349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jain/pseuds/Jain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Herc wasn't a perfect father, but he tried to at least take responsibility for his own mistakes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Connection

"First thing you need to know is, I'm not asking," Bautista said when Herc answered the door to him at eight a.m. on what he hoped would be an entire weekend off.

Herc frowned blearily, because that almost sounded like...

"Second thing is, I've got D2."

The pit fell out of Herc's stomach, and he could feel the blood drain from his face. "Shit. Shit!"

"Not asking!" Bautista repeated hastily, hands up in surrender, and Herc nodded weary acceptance. Any protest would be too much, and it would be against regs besides. The only way this whole house of cards didn't collapse around their ears was through a steady application of good old-fashioned willful ignorance.

"I figured you should know in case anyone asks you about, you know, the whole process of taking on a new co-pilot," Bautista said, and Herc nodded again.

"You gonna post on the hub?" he asked.

"Already did. I wasn't sure whether or not you checked it regularly--or even at all--so I thought I'd pass the message on direct, too."

"Yeah, thanks," Herc forced himself to say. "I 'preciate it."

"We still on for that round of pool tonight?" The question was delivered in a casual, even tone, and Herc knew that their earlier topic of conversation was closed for good.

"Absolutely," Herc said. He locked the door behind Bautista's retreating back and then collapsed onto his bed, head in his hands. _Shit._

* * *

He had to tell Chuck; that wasn't even in question. As much as Herc might want to just point him towards the hub and say, "Read today's posts. There's some info on there you should know," that wasn't the type of man he was--the type of _father_ he was. He wasn't always perfect, but he tried to at least take responsibility for his own mistakes. The minimum he deserved was to have to look his son in the eye when he told him how badly he'd fucked up.

There wasn't any point in waking Chuck up early on one of their rare days off, though, when more than likely he hadn't gone to bed before three. The kid was barely out of the academy, after all: still used to a schedule revolving around late-night cram sessions and even later parties. And he might be young enough that he functioned just fine on five hours of sleep a night, but that didn't mean he wouldn't take every opportunity to sleep in when he got it.

So Herc waited until almost noon before going to Chuck's room, a couple of breakfast trays in hand.

"Breakfast in bed would be weird enough, but is that seriously _hot chocolate?_ " Chuck asked when he answered the door. "What did I do to deserve this? I mean, other than save the world for the sixth time."

"It was Brisbane, not the whole world, and you weren't exactly doing it alone," Herc said and passed Chuck his tray.

"Okay, then what did _you_ do?" Chuck asked, his tone making it clear that he wasn't talking about anything deserving of a reward. It was just his kid being a smart-aleck, like usual, only the question hit Herc the wrong way and he grimaced. "Dad?" Chuck said, sounding almost concerned.

"I owe you an apology," Herc said.

"For what?"

"You know the only reason I even _considered_ taking you on as my co-pilot after Shauna died is that I wasn't a ten-percenter."

Chuck shrugged. "Well, yeah. It would've been pretty gross otherwise."

"That's one word for it," Herc said. He could think of worse ones.

"What's your point, Dad?" Chuck said, impatient and on the way to annoyed.

Herc gave himself a full three seconds' grace, then said, "I heard from a guy in a new Jaeger team. He's got D2, even though he thought he was resistant."

Chuck's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again; Herc's son might have enough attitude for three men, but he occasionally knew when to keep his trap shut. "That's gotta be pretty rare," he said at last.

"A hell of a lot rarer than ten percent," Herc agreed. He made himself keep facing Chuck, whose surprise would wear off soon, and the second it did, he'd say...

"So, okay. We gambled without knowing it, and we won. Again. Sounds like what we do best."

Herc boggled at him.

Chuck shook his head. "Seriously, old man, stop looking so tragic. You didn't know, and nothing terrible happened in any case. Though any time you want to bribe me with more hot chocolate, you should feel free. Actually, I'm feeling kind of traumatized; I think I should grab that other--"

He reached out for the mug on Herc's tray, and Herc slapped his hand away automatically. "It's not a bribe," he said, and it really _wasn't_. It was just...he'd spent a lot of time that morning remembering Chuck as a little kid, back before the breach had opened, when it seemed like Chuck hadn't had a single problem that Herc couldn't fix with a father-to-son chat and a cup of cocoa and a hug or two. Somehow, that memory had been enough for Herc to call in a favor when getting them breakfast.

"Whatever you say, old man," Chuck said and took a sip from his mug. Still, he was smiling--well, all right, _smirking_ \--when he said it. And when Herc let the corner of his mouth twitch up in response and took a sip of his own cocoa, the moment of connection between them didn't feel all that different from when Chuck had been a little boy.


End file.
